Startups, tell us what you expect from the Union Budget 2018

Startups’ expectations from the Union Budget are sky-high this year. We have dealt with impact of demonetisation, the roll-out of GST and the active implementation of the “angel tax”. It’s time that as entrepreneurs, we make our voices heard in the right places. YourStory has always been the voice of startups and entrepreneurs in India, and this time too, we want to know what your expectations are.

Let me start with myself. This year, as an entrepreneur, I am hoping for more encouragement from the government. Why? Because startups are job-creators (even if it is in a small way at first). We don’t need to cite employment figures to prove that we need more entrepreneurs, more support for new entrepreneurs who have taken the plunge into the unknown, more women entrepreneurs, and more women joining startups.

I believe the government can definitely encourage this through the Union Budget and other channels. And it’s our responsibility to tell the government what we, as a community, expect from it.

So I’m asking you: what are the specific things on which you expect the government to act, via the Union Budget, to foster innovation, to help startups to not just set up a business, but also scale, flourish, and when needed, to shut shop without going through a painful process?

If you are an entrepreneur, investor, work for a startup, or are work in the startup ecosystem, fill out this 3-minute survey and make your views heard today.

We will collate your answers and share the findings with not just the Ministry of Finance but the Ministry of Commerce and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), and publish these on YourStory as well.